Taghazout - surfing hotspot / weekend break nightmare

Taghazout sits along the Moroccan coast, not far from Agadir. Its known for its good surf, which is honestly about the only thing you'd go for, as the village itself is pretty scraggy. We did have a lovely flat looking over the sea, but the view was spoilt from time to time by the smell of drains from the local sewage works (i.e. a muddy river next door). It was also pretty hard to have food outside without eating a fly sandwich. We did manage to have a great tagine one night in a local restaurant and sneak in some wine, which we kept under the table so not to offend the locals.

The nearest ATM was a 6km walk away, which caught us out on day one, as you had to pay for everything in cash, including the flat. So, we managed to find a very cheerful taxi driver to ferry us all around (seven of us in an old Merc), who loved singing Phil Colliins and The Eagles as much as we did. He was even happy to strap three surf boards to his roof with an old luggage belt and clatter down dusty roads to the beaches.

All in all, the guys were happy with the surf, but I probably wouldn't go back again unless I wanted another ceaser salad dressed with last night's cold chips. Next stop France - to sort our lives out!

Marrakesh - no I don't need a rug...

Marrakesh is manic. Its a great spot to pick up interesting household bits, but it does get a bit much when someone tries to sell you a rug at every corner. The markets in town were excellent and I could have spent a fortune buying bits, but you always had the feeling that the odds were against you. We got accosted by the usual touristy things minutes after walking into the main square - monkeys on your shoulders and snakes round the neck. Also the food sellers practically forced you to their tables to eat tagines and strange parts of animals, whether you wanted them or not. I became very wary of most sellers, as you couldn't really browse - you had to buy. We got lost once and unfortunately couldn't ask anyone for directions, without the risk of being taken to a shop and forced to buy a teapot.

But aside from the hectic streets, we did have a lovely Riad in the heart of the medina with Fys and Pippa, which provided a great refuge from the hubbub. The food was pretty good around the city and we enjoyed the local spa. I found the dentists chairs amusing, with their rusty pliers and thousands of molars on display. Also the colourful spice shops and mountains of olives looked appealing. I would definitely go back to shop, but would be better prepared next time with a decent map and two key words 'la shokran' (no thanks).

A week in the Alps

After spending a week at home with my family catching up on sleep and food, we flew to La Rosiere in the French Alps for a cooking and chalet management course. It's really intensive and we've barely had an hour to spare each day. The day starts at 7am preparing breakfast for 12, then lessons throughout the day until 6pm, when we prepare a 3 course dinner for everyone (bearing in mind we have a veggie and someone who can't eat gluten, so have to prepare 3 different dishes each time). In between lessons, we bake two cake recipes and make lunch for the staff and other guests. I can't believe we've paid to be worked so hard! Aside from that, there is a great hot tub for relaxing after dinner and free flow wine, so can't complain. The blow up fish also got introduced to the hot tub one night and now works as a good beer holder. Its been snowing a lot here already and the view from the chalet is amazing - a deep valley with two snow capped mountain peaks and twinkling lights from the other resorts.

It's given me a good taste for life as a chalet host in a very upmarket resort, where the guests expect high standards. It's damn hard work and you've got to love the ski, as the pay's terrible, but I'm sure it'd be amazing for one season. We've got a good bunch of people with us, which has made it even better. I could definitely live in the mountains, but cooking and cleaning for up to 20 each day, working 15 hour shifts and getting paid 80 quid a week, is almost slavery. Hasn't France got a minimum wage?! Especially when you consider that a beer is about 5 Euros over here - 16 pints and you're finished. Even though I've loved it, I'm not convinced that running a ski chalet is an option for the long term. I think I should try skiing first too..